"Thank you, Director Dan!"
Qin Chuan and Qin Yang sat down on the sofa.
The brothers noticed the coffee table was laden with items: cigarettes, cigars, coffee, red wine, tea, a fruit platter, and more.
Just as Lin Xiang had described, Dan Xiongjin was indeed a man who cared deeply about appearances. The abundance on his coffee table was a testament to his usual demeanor.
After sitting down, and unmindful of his elder brother's nervous expression, Qin Chuan casually picked up a cigar and sniffed it. "Director Dan, this cigar is excellent. If I'm not mistaken, this one is from the Cuban series, a San Luis, right?"
"This one alone must be at least a hundred US dollars."
From his boss's chair, Dan Xiongjin saw Qin Chuan casually pick up his prized cigar. Instead of being annoyed, he seemed pleased.
Especially when he heard Qin Chuan's words, a spark lit up in his eyes. "You have a keen eye, brother. To accurately identify the origin and price of my cigar at a glance."
"I've had many friends over, and none of them recognize my good stuff. Letting them smoke these is like a cow chewing peonies—a pure waste!"
Qin Chuan chuckled. "That's because they lack discernment. As long as you enjoy it, Director Dan!"
As he spoke, Qin Chuan picked up a cutter from the table and expertly trimmed the cigar's head. He then used a torch lighter to slowly ignite it.
His method of lighting the cigar was skillful. He rotated it evenly, drawing in small puffs. Soon, the entire office was filled with a rich, mellow aroma of cigar smoke.
Beside him, Qin Yang, a seasoned smoker himself, was filled with curiosity at the scent, so different from cigarette smoke.
"Damn!"
Dan Xiongjin, who had been leaning back in his chair, took a deep whiff. The light in his eyes intensified, and he could no longer sit still. He quickly walked around his desk and stood beside Qin Chuan.
"Why does your lit cigar smell better than mine?"
"Director Dan, smoking cigars also requires technique... starting from trimming the head, there's a whole process..."
Qin Chuan picked up a new cigar and demonstrated for Dan Xiongjin.
When it came to cigars, Qin Chuan was an absolute veteran. He had smoked countless in his previous life, so he was very proficient.
Soon, the cigar was lit. Qin Chuan handed it to his elder brother to try.
Qin Yang took a deep puff, his face filled with intoxication. The flavor of this cigar was far more potent than that of cigarettes.
Dan Xiongjin was a quick learner. In no time, he grasped all the techniques and grinned happily, like a child with a new toy.
The three sat together, each with a cigar in their mouth, and began to chat.
"Mr. Qin, what's your relationship with Lin Xiang?"
Finally, Dan Xiongjin got to the main point.
"To be honest, Director Dan, if I told you my brother and I only met Mr. Lin yesterday, would you believe me?"
Qin Chuan said to Dan Xiongjin.
"You met yesterday?"
No matter how much experience Dan Xiongjin had, he was surprised by this answer. He couldn't fathom why someone like Lin Xiang would introduce him to people he had only met for a day. There had to be a reason.
"Yes, my brother and I met Mr. Lin yesterday."
"We came to see you, Director Dan, only to show you something."
Qin Chuan stated.
"What something?"
Dan Xiongjin's keen senses perceived that this "something" was the key to the mystery.
Qin Chuan produced a disc and, just as he had done in Lin Xiang's office yesterday, found a VCD player.
In that era, VCD players were very popular electronic devices. Almost every office of a boss had one, for listening to music or watching movies to relax during downtime.
However, as he pressed the play button, he paused.
"Director Dan, isn't the vice president of your group named Zhang Feng?"
Dan Xiongjin nodded. "That's right! What about it?"
"I heard Zhang Feng is your sworn brother, and you, Director Dan, are a very loyal and righteous person who values brotherhood greatly. If this disc contains something detrimental to Jin'an Group concerning Vice President Zhang, what would you do?"
Qin Chuan asked.
Upon hearing this, Dan Xiongjin's thick eyebrows furrowed deeply. "Mr. Qin, what do you mean by that? I don't quite understand!"
Qin Chuan remained silent and directly pressed the play button. Instantly, the television screen flickered to life.
It was the same scene he had shown Lin Xiang in Longcheng yesterday: three men, Xue Lang and his companions, kneeling and confessing how Zhang Feng had colluded with the Han family, betrayed Jin'an Group's interests, and enriched himself.
As he watched the video, Dan Xiongjin's expression grew increasingly grim, and a dark aura emanated from him.
In the business world, rivals were enemies. Both were in the coal business. Although Jin'an Group was located in Yunzhong City, and the Han family was in Longcheng, about 300 kilometers apart, this distance was almost negligible. Yunzhong City, as the second-largest city in Jin Province, possessed vast underground coal reserves. The Han family, as a top force in the coal industry, would naturally not let it go.
This competition would inevitably lead to friction.
If one could buy off the second-in-command of a rival, turning them into an ally, one could completely manipulate the opponent and reap enormous profits.
"Director Dan, do you recognize the three people in this footage?"
After the video ended, Qin Chuan asked.
"They look somewhat familiar, but there's too much blood on their faces for me to be certain."
Dan Xiongjin's voice was deep and low, clearly in a very bad mood.
"Let me introduce them. Perhaps after my introduction, you'll immediately place these three."
"This man is Xue Lang, one of the most capable henchmen of the Han family patriarch's butler, Liu An. He specializes in handling the dirty work."
Qin Chuan pointed at Xue Lang as he explained.
"And this man, he's Meng Qi, also one of Liu An's most capable subordinates."
"This one is Gou San..."
"Director Dan, do you recall anything now?"
Qin Chuan stared intently into Dan Xiongjin's eyes.
From the depths of his gaze, he saw a hint of grudging ruthlessness, clearly indicating that he recognized these three.
"I recognize them!"
Indeed, Dan Xiongjin gritted his teeth and said.
Qin Chuan's heart leaped with joy. It seemed the reputation of these three, Xue Lang and his companions, was indeed widespread. Many people in the coal industry recognized them. Didn't this also implicitly prove that their notorious deeds had long been marked by various parties?
Just as Qin Chuan was about to say something more, the office door, which had been firmly shut, was suddenly pushed open. A middle-aged man, dressed neatly in a suit, walked in.
Seeing the man who had barged in, Qin Chuan quickly turned off the television.
"Brother, I was wondering why your office door was shut so tightly. It turns out you have guests. And who are these two...?"
The middle-aged man looked curiously at Qin Chuan and Qin Yang.
"Zhang Feng, you're back from the mine?"
Upon seeing the newcomer, Dan Xiongjin's gloomy expression instantly vanished, replaced by one of great delight.